31 March 2026

A new Universitas 21 report, developed in collaboration with the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy (UK ITSS), is exploring how global collaboration can strengthen understanding and development of the technical workforce in higher education, alongside the launch of a new international Community of Practice.

Technical workforce insights from research-intensive universities across the U21 network have now been published, offering valuable international perspectives on the scale, diversity, career pathways and strategic development of these roles.

Despite the vital contribution technical professionals make to enabling world-class research and education, there remains limited shared understanding globally of how these roles are defined, supported and developed.

Global Insights: Technical Professionals in Higher Education and Research brings together perspectives from institutions across the global Universitas 21 network, building a more coherent international picture of technical roles, career pathways and strategic workforce development.

Published on 31 March by the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy (UK ITSS) in collaboration with Universitas 21, the report aims to establish a stronger evidence base and lay the foundations for future international collaboration on technical workforce development.

Key findings

1. Global variation in how technical professionals are defined and categorised, which directly shapes the scope of technical roles and responsibilities.
2. The vital role technical professionals play in global research, innovation and student learning, often providing specialist expertise that underpins teaching, research infrastructure and emerging technologies.
3. Growing international momentum toward development of technical career pathways and opportunities despite uneven implementation.
4. The importance of national and international collaboration to strengthen technical skills and strategy through sharing good practice, influencing policy and building collective capacity.
5. Common pressures and barriers faced by the global technical workforce, including blurred role boundaries, lack of recognition and visibility, financial insecurity, constrained career pathways and recruitment challenges.

To help address these issues, UK ITSS and Universitas 21 have established a formal Universitas 21 Community of Practice focused on technical skills and strategy.

The Community of Practice will provide an international knowledge exchange and networking platform whilst supporting shared strategic priorities around technical workforce development and leadership. It will also consider future collaboration opportunities and explore international interest in adapting and applying Technician Commitment principles in different national contexts. Its first event will take place in Summer 2026.

The report makes seven recommendations aimed at strengthening technical skills, strategy, and sustainability globally. These include working towards clear and consistent role definitions and sustainable career pathways, enhanced workforce sustainability and meaningful presentation of technical voices in institutional governance and decision-making, as well as leveraging international collaboration and global research funder and policy networks. Finally, the recommendations highlight the opportunity for a shared international forum for technical leadership and visibility.

Kelly Vere MBE, Director of the UK Institute for Technical Skills & Strategy, said:

“This report demonstrates growing international momentum to strengthen technical career pathways and brings together examples of good practice from across the sector.

“Technical professionals are fundamental to our institutions, enabling the research, innovation and education that address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. The technical workforce also experiences a number of shared challenges across institutions and countries. Working together across borders gives us a real opportunity to better understand these challenges and take more joined-up, effective action. Developing a clearer and more coherent international picture of technical roles, career pathways and workforce development is an important step in building that shared understanding and strengthening the evidence base for action.

“Supporting the technical community is essential if we are to sustain the expertise, capability and innovation needed to address the complex challenges facing society, now and into the future.”

Professor Jenny Dixon, Provost of Universitas 21, added:

“This report highlights both the shared priorities and the shared challenges that institutions face when supporting and developing the technical workforce. The new Community of Practice on Technical Skills and Strategy provides an important forum for institutions to explore these themes collaboratively, share insights and build a stronger international understanding of how technical capability can be supported.

“We hope the report will encourage institutions to reflect on their own approaches and to engage with colleagues across the U21 network and beyond. Communities of Practice such as this one play an important role in bringing people together from across our global network to share insights and learn from one another.”

Dr Yantao Song, Technical Services Manager, of University of Auckland, also commented:

“Technical professionals are fundamental to the delivery of high-quality research, teaching and innovation across our institutions.  This report provides an important opportunity to reflect on how these roles are recognised, developed and supported across different higher education systems.

“Participating in this work has been a valuable way to contribute to a shared conversation about the future of the technical workforce. The findings highlight shared priorities and challenges and reinforce the value of learning from different institutional approaches.

“We look forward to continuing to work with colleagues across the network to develop good practice and drive positive change for technical professionals at University of Auckland and across the global higher education sector.”

Find out more:

• Find out more about U21’s Communities of Practice
• Download the report: Publications – UK ITSS